Diabetes Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for diabetic retinopathy, but denied service connection for vision impairment (other than diabetic retinopathy) as it is not related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and an eye disorder (including diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, and constricted visual field) as due to service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims can be fully adjudicated, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination for diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 9, 2006, for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of a creative organ is granted. The erectile dysfunction related to his type II diabetes mellitus was considered part of the service connection claim and thus meets the criteria for SMC.

The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities have been shown to be productive of intermittent symptoms, but not moderate incomplete paralysis.

The Board found that the effective date for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is December 28, 2009, as this was the date of receipt of the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim. The appeal regarding an earlier effective date prior to December 28, 2009, for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to inadequate VA examination and the need for additional medical opinions regarding his psychiatric, diabetes, neuropathy, hypertension, and scarring conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred or aggravated during his active duty service, and thus denied all secondary service connection claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart condition, diagnosed as idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not attributable to his service-connected Type II Diabetes Mellitus (DM) or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure, and secondary service connection for various disabilities were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection under VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension secondary to PTSD. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed again due to new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including verification of the Veteran's periods of active duty for training and inactive duty training in the Naval Reserve.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for hypertension and service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including new VA examinations.

The Veteran's service connection for type II diabetes mellitus has been granted. The Board also found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Thailand, which is a recognized exposure basis for service connection of certain diseases including diabetes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and sleep apnea, as well as his requests for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction were denied. The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 60 percent for diabetic nephropathy with hypertension was granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for further development regarding his exposure to herbicides during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and bilateral diabetic retinopathy, finding that there was no confirmation of his actual presence in Vietnam or on inland waterways, thus precluding a presumption of herbicide exposure. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have chronic symptoms of diabetes during service and that diabetes did not manifest within one year after separation from service.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder, and therefore service connection for PTSD is denied. The claims for DM, hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, and peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure are also denied as there is no evidence of such conditions in the record.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected diabetes insipidus is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's vision problems, including diabetic retinopathy and cataracts, are related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.